The Will Of Love
by J. Maria
Summary: My take on 'A HOLE IN THE WORLD' so SPpoilerish. Wesley would do anything to save the love of his life. . .even if it means facing Severus Snape
1. Part One

Rating: Pg-13

Disclaimer: Not mine!

Spoilers: Major spoilers for 'Hole In The World', minor for OoTP

Summary: Ok, poetry challenge response (I only took the last six lines of the poem, though, because it was a _really _long poem) So, cutting out the whole ending of 'A Hole In The World, cuz that's just not a cool ending.

**__**

The Will Of Love

Part One

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'  
We are not now that strength which in old days  
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;  
One equal temper of heroic hearts,  
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will  
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.  
- Ulysses, by Tennyson  


Wesley sat with the ill girl in his arms, holding her tightly to him. Tears streaked her face as she cried harder. He looked up at the old man, sitting in the corner, watching him.

"Can you help her?"

"Yes. I can _try_ at least."

Albus Dumbledore took Fred from his arms. He laid her out on the hospital bed. Madame Pomfrey scuttled in, her eyes going wide at the sight of the girl.

"What is _this_?" She huffed.

"Demon possession. Mr. Wyndam-Pryce brought her in." Dumbledore said softly.

"_Wyndam-Pryce? _Not him! He . . .oohh, that child drove me absolutely nutty all those years he was here!" Poppy paused, taking in his words. "_Demon_ possession?"

"Yes. Ms. Burkle is quite ill. I've sent for Severus."

Poppy eyes bugled out of her head. She gaped. Her mouth opened and shut several times. Albus smiled softly at her, and gazed down at the girl.

"Severus swore to kill him the next time he laid eyes on him." Poppy spluttered.

"Oh, was that so? Hmm, yes. The potion is over in that cabinet. Do make sure he stays out there for a little while, Poppy."

"I'm not going anywhere near him! Not now that Severus Snape is on his way here. Do you think I'm insane?"

* * * * *

Wesley paced back and forth on the stone floors. He was so worried about Fred, that he didn't even notice the man until he was almost breathing down his neck. He felt a clammy hand grab onto the scruff of his neck. He was shoved against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" A voice, dripping with hatred. Severus Snape's greasy black hair fell in think strands over his face as he leaned toward Wesley.

"Severus?" Poppy poked her head out of the infirmary door. She gasped, as he whirled to face her.

"What?"

"You're needed in here." She stiffened before giving them both disgusted looks.

Severus released him and gave him a look of pure hatred.

"The same to you." Wesley said, rubbing his throat. "Brother."

A/N 2: Continue?  



	2. Part Two

Spoilers: 'A Hole In The World' for Angel and OotP for Harry

Disclaimer: So not mine. Though how I do wish.

A/N: Watching Angel 'Shells' and yeah. So, I'm burstin with the creative juices to figure this chapter out. Oh, and yeah. I don't know Snape's mother's name, so I made one up. If it's wrong, and there is one, please tell me.

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Part Two

Severus watched the younger man watch the girl lying on the hospital bed. He sneered at him. Albus was speaking, but he wasn't really listening.

"Severus?"

"Hmm?"

"I asked you if you knew of the drawing potion."

"Yes, I can make it in a few hours time." He nodded over at the younger man. "What exactly is going on here?"

"The young woman was infected by a demon. Wesley remembered what I told him years ago, that if he ever needed help, he could count on his friends."

"Who is the girl?"  
"A love interest of his, I do believe." Albus watched the Potions professor carefully. "Severus, you cannot take your resentment of him out on that innocent girl there." He caught Severus' gaze. "You recall what happened _last _time did that." 

"I'll go whip up this potion."

* * * * *

It was nearly thirty-five years ago that the Watchers Council had had any dealings with the Ministry of Magic. It had been back then that a young widow and an untried watcher man met. Calpurna Snape was a secretary working in the Ministry when Roger Wyndam-Pryce walked into her life. Her husband had passed away a few months prior to their meeting.

It was hard to say which of his two qualities she was attracted to: His looks or the power of his position. He fell for her because of her looks, however. 

Theirs was a brief and torrid affair, struck to a halt because of the poor taste in trust. The Council considered this as a personal betrayal of trust, ( for while unthinkable, they were far greater prigs back then, than they were when Ms. Summers first became a slayer), This, and the quiet murmurings of a relatively popular wizard, broke the sacred bonds that had united the two most powerful magical organizations.

Surprisingly, neither was dismissed or punished for their passionate crime. They were, however, warned to never speak to each other again. Roger, though disheartened at this loss, married another within the year. As a third anniversary gift, his wife announced her pregnancy. They had a son, named Wesley.

Calpurna could not go so merrily back into the obscurity that was her life prior to the wild affair. For nine months from the very beginning of the affair, she found herself in very painful labor. Severus Snape was not named for his father, but the man that came before his father. A man who'd been dead three long months before he was conceived.

But this would lead you to believe that the brothers grew up ignorant of the other's existence. This was not so, for Roger knew of his oldest son. It was the opposite, for they welcomed Severus into their lives, and the boy spent nearly every other week with his father. 

* * * * *

Wesley held her hand in his own, his eyes never leaving her as she slept on. He held himself stiffly. He had to be strong for her, so that she could be strong for herself. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled weakly at him.

"How long have I been out?" She rasped.

"An hour." He followed her gaze to the people in the room, her eyes widened in fear.

"Where are we?"

"Sh, you're safe. We're among friends. They believe they can find a potion to draw out the demon."

"Yay." She said dryly.

"Fred. . ."

"I know. It . . . hurts so bad, Wes."

"I know, darling. But if anyone can cure you, it'd be Sev."

"Who's that?"

"My brother." He caught the glare of his brother as Severus swept out of the room.

* * * * *

They grew, as all children do. And they loved each other as young children will. But there was a viper in their happy home. It was in the cutting down of Roger by Calpurna that affected Severus the most. She also spurred on the natural instinct to hate Wesley, because he _lived_ with his father.

This by no means was to all be laid at the feet of Calpurna. Roger himself played on the aspect of 'healthy' competition between the boys. 

The other viper was Voldemort. He'd taken quite a shine to Calpurna. He found her situation most intriguing, and helped to develop the hatred the woman had for the muggle watcher.

But, still the brothers loved each other. Both were intelligent boys, and had many things in common. 

When Severus was eleven, and being prepared to enter Hogwarts, Wesley would pester him to write him often and to explain everything. Wesley adored his older brother. But the strain grew heavier still. For who was to say this little muggle boy would become a wizard? Severus didn't have the heart to dash the boy's dreams.

"Sev, then we could spend gads of time together, learning about magic!" the eight year old clapped.

"Wes, you won't even be old enough for three more years. Father spoke of you going to a different school."

"Posh. I'm going to school with my big brother!" The boy chirped.

This would be one of the last times the brothers would get along so well.

* * * * * 

Wesley was caught up in the childhood memories of his brother when the door to the infirmary burst open. He jumped to his feet, startling Fred. Severus had left a half hour ago. He was hoping it was him. 

Wesley, along with the rest of the people in the room, were shocked to see a black haired teen being helped into the room by a two other students. He gave Dumbledore a puzzled look.

"Harry got hit in the head with a bludger." The girl said.

"I'll get smelling salts." Poppy hustled to get them.

"Smelling salts?" Fred asked quietly.

"Magical of course." He reassured her.

"You should help them get him in bed."

"I think they have that covered, Fred." He smiled at her.

"Can we stay with him, Professor Dumbledore?" The red-haired boy asked.

"Of course, Ron."

"Here, these should work better than when this happened to Wood." Poppy held the red colored salt to Harry's nose.

"Who are they?" Fred whispered to him, "Your brother's kids?"

"No, this is a school. They're students."

"Who are they?" Ron whispered to Hermione. 

"I haven't the faintest clue, Ron. I'm seeing if Harry is OK."

The group all watched as the boy on the bed opened his eyes. He slowly looked around the room.

"Did we win?" He asked them.

"Honestly, you get knocked out by a bludger, and all you care about is if you won the stupid Quidditch match." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Did we win?" he asked, turning to Ron.

"We slaughtered Slytherin."

"Good."

"How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?" Poppy asked.

"Like I was hit in the head with a bludger."

"Potter?" Wesley raised his head at the name. He studied the boy. God lord. "James Potter's son?"

"Yes. James' son." Dumbledore said softly, walking over to Fred's bed. "I believe the two of you have something in common, Wesley."

"What could that possibly be?"

"You're both equally disliked by your brother. And you are both at the top of his infamous list."

"I thought Sirius Black was on the top of that list."

"Along with James, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin. You and Harry seem to rank a little higher than Lupin these days. He is the only one left on that list."

"Why?" Fred asked. 

Their private conversation had grabbed the attention of the other people. Dumbledore looked at Wesley. And he saw the confusion there. Dumbledore gazed into the younger man's eyes.

"James and Lily Potter were killed fifteen years ago by Voldemort." Dumbledore said softly.

"What?" Wesley said shocked.

A/N: Cliffie! how'd I do?


	3. Part Three

Title: The Will Of Love

Part: 3/7

Author: Jmaria

Spoilers: 'A Hole In The World' for Angel and OotP for Harry

Disclaimer: So not mine. Though how I do wish.

Summary: The heart of the matter

A/N: Ok, figured out this will only be six or seven parts long, due to well, the fact that I have so many other fics going on right now. That and the fact that this story takes place in the span of two days, total. The reason I've been taking so long on this one is that I had to re-read the transcript of "Lineage" so I could be canon in Wes' schooling. (Which, I come to find out includes the spell he did at seven and that he was head boy at the Academy, and that he was never good enough in his father's eyes.) It's been three weeks, since I last posted, but my mind melted a little bit . . . so bear with me.

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Part Three

The three teenagers couldn't help overhearing the conversation between their headmaster and the stranger sitting on the bed across from them. Hermione caught the gaze of the woman who was lying on said bed. She was pale, her lips cracked, but she smiled at the younger girl.

"Hey." She said weakly.

"Fred, you must conserve your energy." The man turned back to her, startled out of his stupor by her.

"I don't want to waste any time, Wesley!"

"You're not -"

"The potion might not work! They said there's just a chance - "

"Shh, please, Fred. Do this, for me?"

"Pardon me, but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation, Professor Dumbledore." Hermione skirted around the bed, her eyes locking on the old wizard.

"Of course, Miss. Granger." He smiled at her.

"You knew the Potters, Mr.. . I'm afraid I didn't catch your name, sir?" 

Wesley let out a tiny chuckle. Dear gods, that had been him to a tee back in his old Hogwarts days. He smiled at the frowning girl. They were all watching him nervously. Good lord, the boy had Lily's eyes. They were so like the eyes that had given him that sad disapproving look back in his school days. On the last day he'd seen any of them, save Severus.

"Yes . . .Only Lily was still an Evans back then. James hadn't quite gotten around to proposing to her yet. They were only in the middle of their seventh year here."

"You knew my parents?"

"Yes. Damn shame, their loss. They were good people, no matter what Sev tries to say otherwise."

"SEV?" The redheaded boy cried, his eyes going wide at the mention of his potions professor. "You knew Snape?"

"Well, of course he would, Ron! Snape went to school with Harry's parents. If Mr.. . whatever his name is went to school with them, he surely would have gone to school with Professor Snape!"

"Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Miss Granger." Wes smiled as the girl blushed, catching her off-guard when he interrupted with his name. Fred smiled softly. Wes had that kind of charm about him. A true gentleman. So true a gentleman, that he'd been willing to let the love of his life go on with hers, never letting her know he loved her.

"Jerk." She smacked him lightly.

"Fred?"

"Sorry, mind on another time." She smiled up at him, before breaking into a fit of convulsive coughs.

"This is Winifred Burkle. Miss Burkle - may I tell them, Wesley?" Dumbledore stood at Fred's side, watching the younger man brush her sweat soaked hair back from her forehead.

"Yes, this is a learning facility. I suppose it is all right."

"Miss Burkle has been possessed with the essence of an old one. A demon that is purely evil, and perhaps one of the greatest evils ever known to walk on the face of this earth."

"Gee, when you put it that way, I _almost_ lose hope." Fred said dryly.

"Sev is working up a potion, darling. You will be healed. If anyone can make this potion, it is Severus Snape."

"You're putting an awful lot of faith in Snape. . . "Harry said nervously. The older man's eyes fell on him as he boldly continued on. "He -"

"Sev can be rough at times. His parents didn't help him any. A witch of a mother, both literally and figuratively. His father was disappointed that he didn't follow in the family business." Wes lowered his head. "And his brother. . . his brother betrayed him to his greatest enemies. The Marauders."

"Snape had a brother?" Hermione bent her head toward the couple. "I didn't know that."

"Well, you wouldn't. They don't share the same last name, he is three years younger, and was expelled from Hogwarts. In his fourth year."

"You know an awful lot about Snape's brother." Ron said suspiciously.

"I rather suspect I would, seeing as he is my brother." He met the eyes of Harry. And swore for a second, it was Lily's disapproving look that was staring back at him.

* * * * *

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce was practically jumping off the walls in excitement. Of course, he was reigning it all in. He was going to Hogwarts, with Severus! Finally! But Severus had changed, become a different boy than the one young Wesley so fondly remembered and loved.

"Well, Son. Aren't you going to say hello to your mother?" Roger demanded.

"I would, Sir. But Mother is at home. Hello, Mrs. Wyndam-Price." Severus said curtly to the blond woman on his father's arm.

"Severus, you look well."

"Don't coddle the boy. He's old enough to have a smart mouth, he's old enough to be a big man and not be coddled by you."

"Roger. . . " Alicia fingered the strand of pearls around her throat.

"Have I said one word that is not true, Alicia?" He demanded. 

Wesley shook a little. Father rarely ever used that tone before he'd gotten a slayer, nearly four years ago. He seemed to use it every other day now. Especially when they were discussing their sons. Alicia kept her eyes focused on the train, this was neither the time nor the place for this particular discussion. 

His mother was far too quiet these days, and most of their arguments revolved around where he was to attend school. Mother harbored her son's dreams of joining his brother at Hogwarts, while Father wished for him to continue on at the Watcher's Academy.

But the letter had arrived. He had been chosen as an acceptable wizard to join his brother at Hogwarts. He could be with his brother, completely away from his father's oppressive reign. All and all, it would be much better than being the Council's prodigy Watcher-In-Training. And spend more time with the brother that was steadily pulling himself away from them all.

But being at Hogwarts would prove to be the downfall. For the truth was out. Severus Snape was a Slytherin. And Wesley Wyndam-Pryce was a first year. 

A first year Gryffindor.

And with the hat's decision, Severus Snape would never look at his brother as that again. He was nothing more but a damn Gryff and a mudblood to boot. Somehow, the irony that his brother was just as much a mudblood as he himself was, was not lost on the young man.

* * * * *

Wes told them how it had been after that. He'd been friends with the young Marauders, who had taken to the young man who upset poor Severus so. For years he helped them pull pranks on the man he'd once looked up to. But Severus had cut ties with the Wyndam-Pryces. For a time, Wesley imagined himself in love with Lily Evans. But it was a foolish crush. 

The biggest betrayal had involved a near death experience two years later. Fred had never known any of this. No one who was associated with him knew of his past. At least, none of his Ancient past.

She clutched his past as the shame of his actions as a child washed over his face. Harry's head was hung in grief and anger at the harsh and careless acts of his father and his friends. Ron and Hermione were quiet. Not sure what to say to that.

Wesley looked up at the young man who reminded him so very much of his parents.

"You cannot blame Severus for hating us so very much. Nor can you blame them for their actions. We were foolish children. We made mistakes. All children do, you know. But this is the least of my crimes against my brother." Wesley lowered his head. "My greatest crime would come in my fourth year here. And it was so atrocious of a crime, that I was expelled and my wand was snapped in half."

Wesley clutched Fred's hand. He needed some strength from her to confess this. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak.

A/N: Major cliffie. I know that it's horrid of me, so sorry. honest. feedback, pretty please?


	4. Part Four

Title: The Will Of Love

Part: 4/7

Author: Jmaria

Rating: R

Disclaimers: Mine? I think not. I'll return them as good as new. (Or in even better condition than their real owners left them.)

Spoilers: Season Five: A Hole in the World for Angel, OotP for Harry

Summary: Why hatred runs so deep. . .

A/N: Ok, I know that the characters are a teensy bit OOC. And It was horribly evil of me to end it there, but I'm a little stressed and only get an hour or so a night to write this out. I have less than five days to finish two other fics and I sat on that last chapter for like three weeks. Plus I'm judging at an award site that has to have that before I leave as well. PLUS it's finals week for me. And right now I should be looking at more nudes (Art History) and engraving the dates they were made into my head. Plus dealing with my roommate breaking up and making up with her boyfriend at five in the morning. Very loudly and on _speakerphone. _Let's just say I'm super stressed.

A/N 2: Been a while since I posted anything or much of anything. But I couldn't find the time or the motivation to write much for this story. Especially considering I got a review from someone telling me how they couldn't wait until Illiryia (sp?) showed up and killed or kicked everyone's ass. Obviously, they didn't read the part where this was me going against what happened in season five of Angel concerning Fred and Wes.

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Part Four

Wes gave a small chuckle. He didn't want to, but he ended up doing so anyway. Fred was getting weaker and he was trying to explain his convoluted and detailed relationship with his elder half brother to the son of one of his closest acquaintances he'd made at Hogwarts.

And once again, it was all over a girl and their father. The group stared at him like he'd completely lost it. He hadn't of course. He knew what they wanted to hear. So he took another deep breath and began his tale.

"It started in my fourth year, here at Hogwarts. That was also Severus' seventh year. It involved a lovely witch, and . . ."

"Lily Evans?" Hermione asked.

"No. James had claimed her as his long ago. Oddly enough, we both knew Lily was never in our league. For me, it was mostly my age. And for Sev, it was simply that he wasn't James." Wesley sighed softly. "No, the witch was a young Ravenclaw girl, fifteen, so in both our ranges. As a Slytherin, the only other house acceptable to date was Ravenclaw. A little less discerning, but opened up your options. There were some very unpleasant looking female Slytherins. I do recall Melfinia Constrey was eager to be Severus' wife. Ugly woman, ended up engaged to Bulstrode, by the end of the term." He paused for a moment, taking in the small shudder that went through the young red-head and continued. "I'll assume you're acquainted with Bulstrode's offspring, then?"

"Millicent Bulstrode. She's not the handsomest girl in the world." Hermione stated.

"Where was I - oh, yes. Sev and I were on rocky terms after a specific incident with Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter that I helped Sirius to set up." Wesley acknowledged the small glint of recognition in Harry's eyes. He took a deep breath. "But as I said, the worst thing I could have ever done, was make a fool of him. Sev clings very tightly to his pride and his confidence in his actions. Perhaps his life would be very different from the one he leads now, had I not made an ass out of him. I'd imagine many things in his life would be different, had I not betrayed him that way." He smiled softly. "Her name was Caroline Weston. She was a lovely girl with corn silk blonde hair, and eyes that were so very welcoming. . . "

Wesley hadn't started noticing girls until the end of his third year, when Polly Diggle had kissed him on a dare at the last Quidditch match of the term. He'd blushed horribly, and had been ribbed constantly by Sirius and occasionally Regulus, Sirius' younger brother who would occasionally study with Wesley. Reggie understood what it was like, to have one's family be torn asunder. Sirius no longer lived at home, and Regulus, who'd always idolized Sirius, found himself being bullied by his parents to sever all ties with his miscreant elder brother.

Polly Diggle was the first girl to ever kiss him, and he would only be kissed by one other girl while he was attending Hogwarts. So very sure of his manly prowess, Wesley was a tad bit overconfident when he attempted to kiss Selena Wood. That had not gone well, especially since the Gryffindor beater had sent him to the hospital wing.

Incidentally, that had been when he'd met Caroline Weston. The Ravenclaw prefect had been hexed by a fifth year Slytherin when she threatened to report him for bullying some Hufflepuff fourth years. None other than the Seventh year Slytherin prefect Severus Snape, had come to her aid.

"Sev? What're you doing in here?" Wesley asked over his rapidly swelling lower lip, when he raced into the infirmary.

"The name is Snape, Wyndam-Pryce. And I don't believe that is any of your concern." Sev snapped, brushing lint off of his robes.

"Hullo, Wesley." Caroline peeked around Sev. Her large blue eyes looked up almost . . . dreamily at Severus. Wesley would later look back on that day and knew he should have realized that she had a crush on Severus.

"Hullo Caroline. What happened?"

"Jelly legs jinx. Could have been worse, had Severus not shown up." The Ravenclaw smiled brightly up at Severus. "Professor Binns spoke of your father today, Wesley. And all of the good work he's done with the Council. I'd imagine that you've actually met a slayer?" Severus' nostrils flared at the mention of their father.

"Erm, well, yes. Once or twice. I was rather young when she passed on."

"We were covering the History of Hogwarts only slayer, Maleficent Nacslatsyrc, the Bulgarian native who nearly set the castle ablaze when she slaughtered the horde of vampires on the south lawns in the sixteenth century?" Caroline continued on.

"Father often speaks of that, whenever the school letters arrive." Wesley didn't add that Roger always threw in that other than that, Hogwarts was a waste of an institution compared to the Watchers Academy. Severus suddenly excused himself and left the room. Wesley was too busy staring at his brother to notice Caroline's smile falter.

"Well, while you're waiting for the new mediwitch to show up, I suppose you can tell me all about slayers, then?"

The next few hours were spent answering Caroline's consistent flow of questions about slayers and watchers, vampires, demons, and the Council itself.

"Will you be a Watcher like your father, then?"

"No, one must go to a special school for that. . . I opted to go to Hogwarts instead."

"I keep forgetting you're Muggleborn. Not that being part of the Council would be anything completely Muggle, now would it?"

"No, not entirely."

Wesley sighed heavily. The three students were now completely enraptured in the tale of his youth. He had their undivided attention. The doors of the Infirmary opened, and Wesley turned, half hoping to see Severus holding up the miracle cure Fred needed. Instead he found Poppy. He smiled softly at her, and she gave him a wary look.

"Professor Snape says it'll only be a bit longer. Why are you smiling?" She demanded. "I've treated over a dozen ailments of yours, Wyndam-Pryce. You best remember that."

"Oh, he's just telling us about his brother and why he hates him so much." Ron grinned from Harry's side.

"Oh, honestly. That reason is so very obvious. It was over a girl, was it not?" Poppy smiled softly.

"Yes."

They were in the middle of discussing slayers when the new mediwitch followed Madame Mascon, the school nurse, into the room. It was none other than the previous year's Head Girl, Poppy Pomfrey. Caroline had smiled brightly up at the former Hufflepuff.

"Hullo Poppy. I didn't know you were going to become a mediwitch."

"Caro? Whatever did you get yourself into now?" Poppy sighed heavily. Over the last years, Poppy had saved her from hundreds of incidents that would have otherwise gotten Caroline very nearly killed. Including several of her own 'experiments'.

When Wesley learned that she was one of the volunteer Charms tutors, Wesley eagerly signed up for tutoring with her. Over the weeks, he learned that she was horrid in Potions and was being tutored herself, by none other than Severus Snape. Wesley began seeing them all over the school, studying, talking together and actually laughing together. Fewer and fewer people picked on her.

Wesley was jealous. He worked up a plan. A plan that was a last ditch effort at getting Caroline to notice him as more than that boy she was helping in Charms. So he planned on tricking her into kissing him . . . in front of Severus. Naturally, Severus assumed that she was tricking him, just as his brother had years before. He swore to never speak to him again, and turned his attention back to working for the Dark Lord.

Caroline's heart was broken however. And when Wesley tried to fix it, it ended in a clash. Wesley attacked Severus as he was walking down the main corridor. And not just magical attacks, but physical as well. And Wesley, while the younger and weaker of the two, managed to do considerable damage to the older boy.

Wesley was expelled that week and his wand snapped in half, partially because of his behavior, but mainly on his father's command. Severus swore that if either of them ever came near him again, he would kill them. Until several hours ago, Wesley hadn't spoken to any one from Hogwarts.

"What about Caroline?"

"She refused to speak to me. I've no clue what she did with her life. In my mind, she is still that fifteen year old witch."

"Well . . . that explains why you . . . waited so darn long to tell me how you felt." Fred said softly.

"Well, yes. I suppose so."

A blonde haired girl strode into the infirmary then, her eyes wide and her wand tucked behind her ear. She smiled briefly over at the three students before making her way over to Madame Pomfrey.

"They've taken my socks again. I just came to fetch a pair from the stash." She said dreamily.

"Yes, it's over there dear." Poppy sighed heavily. "Evil little gits." She muttered loud enough for Wesley to hear. "As if I didn't scrape her mother out of a million problems, now I have to worry about her. Especially since she joined up with those three last year."

"Her mother?"

"Yes, her mother. The first girl you ever loved."

"Who did Caroline marry?"

"Caro married the Lovegood boy, who was a year older. They had a good marriage. . . "

"Had?"

"Caroline died . . . seven years ago. One of her experiments backfired."

Luna turned to face Made Pomfrey. She gave a smile that Harry had never seen before on the odd Ravenclaw girl. It actually made her quite pretty. For Wesley, it looked like Caroline's smile.


	5. Part Five

Title: The Will Of Love  
Part: 5/7  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-18  
Disclaimers: Mine? I think not. I'll return them as good as new. (Or in even better condition than their real owners left them.)  
Spoilers: Season Five: A Hole in the World for Angel, OotP for Harry  
Summary: The girl in question - both past and present  
A/N: o_O. No other words even needed.

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Part Five

Wesley couldn't believe that Caro was gone, that her fifteen year old daughter stood across from him at James Potter's son's bedside. Everyone he'd been close to in his few, precious Hogwarts days were gone, save Severus and Poppy. And now, here he was with the woman he loved, praying for any miracle. He pulled Fred's hand to his lips and tenderly kissed it.

"Hello," Luna Lovegood said coming to stand beside her bed.

"Hi," Fred said weakly, tears in her eyes from Wesley's story and her own growing pain of the demon inside of her.

"Harry was just telling me that you knew my mother," Luna turned her gaze to Wesleys face. "When you were in school?"

"Yes, its very hard to forget a woman like your mother," Wesley said shakily.

"Mother made that impression on everyone," Luna's own smile got a bit wobbly. "She mentioned you, I think. In one of her stories about her school days."

Wesley felt Fred's hand tighten on his. Caro had been the final, devastating reason for the breach between the brothers. And she had remembered both boys for the rest of her short life.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. She didn't name you, but she mentioned two brothers who wooed her. One she tutored, and one who tutored her. She was never sad when she thought of you - of either of you. I didn't know it was Professor Snape who was the other boy, however, until today."

"Ah, well, it might be better if you kept that knowledge to yourself," Wesley said quietly, partially wishing he hadn't had to come disturb his brothers life yet again.

"It simply clarifies what I've always believed to be true about Professor Snape," Luna's eyes flickered to the doorway, leading both Wesley's and Fred's gaze there.

A tall, dark robed man stood outside the door. A potion clutched tightly in his hands as his gaze settled first on Potter and his friends, then Poppy's anxious face, to Luna's understanding face, and finally to his own brothers. Wesley caught something in his brother's eyes that struck him as odd.

Severus ignored them as he strode into the room, making a bee-line for Caro's daughter. A harsh sneer crossed his face as he looked down at the blonde Ravenclaw.

"Come to bother Madame Pomfrey _again_, Miss Lovegood?" Snape sneered, but there was a distinct lack of bite in his tone as he glanced down at the pair of socks clutched in her hands. "Fifteen points from Ravenclaw."

"Yes, I see," Luna nodded, her young eyes peering curiously at the Potions master. She smiled dreamily at Wesley. "It was nice to meet an alumni of Hogwarts."

Before Wesley could respond, Luna nodded her head and made her way over to the three Gryffindors who looked both gob-smacked and angry. Poppy puffed up a bit, leveling her gaze at Severus. A brow quirked up at her, as if pressing for information he wouldn't dare ask aloud for. Poppy made great show of rearranging the prep-table beside Fred's bed before she spoke quietly to him

"The Edgecombe girl, _again_. She's still bitter about that D.A. nonsense from last term, and since she and Chang can't retaliate on the Golden Trio, her and Longbottom get the brunt of it. Mainly her. Flitwick's useless as usual," Poppy said bitterly.

"Some heads of house are not so lenient," Severus said noncommittally. Poppy snorted at that.

"McGonagall'll just be happy it's not _her_ house you're taking points from."

Wesley watched as a look - one he recognized often in his own mirror passed between the two staff members. He'd had the same one when Fred had been someone else's girl. Memories seemed to come back at a flash then, of _Poppy_ always being around when Caro was busy with Snape. House loyalties had been harder to cross back then, with the smell of war in the air. Slytherins didn't mess about with Hufflepuffs for anything other than carnal relations if necessary, and didn't touch Gryffindors _at all_.

And Poppy had stood back, being older than them all. She'd stood back and watched the train wreck. But what was their excuse now? War was in the air...and Voldemort had risen in power again.

Wesley didn't have long to dwell on those thoughts, however, because he soon found himself under his brother's dark gaze.

"Severus," Wesley nodded to the older man. Part of him - that scared little eleven year-old self - wanted to rush to his brother's side and pull him into a hug. But he knew that whatever tender feelings the two had had for each other were now long dead.

"Wesley. You do have a way of getting yourself into unmanageable scrapes, don't you?" Severus said coolly, not giving away anything.

"Yes. Always have, I'm afraid."

"I'm Fred," Fred interrupted, looking curiously between the two of them.

"Miss Burkle, Professor Dumbledore did tell me your name," Severus studied her intensely, his head cocking to the side before he turned to address Poppy. "She'll have to be moved immediately. The potion needs another five minutes to settle. We'll need a clear path for the old one to traverse. Can you manage the -"

"Severus, I've been hustling injured schoolchildren around these halls for over twenty years, I think I can manage getting Miss Burkle into place in the tower," Poppy huffed, her eyes flicking over to the four students who were trying - and failing - to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Good. We need to speak," Severus glanced at his brother then, making eye contact. "Privately."

"My office is free."

"How kind, Madame," Severus said with a fake sneer.

Fred nodded to him, and Wesley quickly unfolded himself from her side. The office wasn't far, and he pulled the door shut behind him. Neither spoke for several tense moments.

"I wanted to thank you, Severus," Wesley started, pausing only when his brother held up a hand to stop him.

"I did as Dumbledore requested, as I would have done had he asked it for any other than yourself," Severus hurried on before Wesley could protest it. "And you should be preparing yourself for the worst. We must draw the Old One out of her, and send it back to the Deeper Well. That is why we need the highest tower Hogwarts has. The old one, the God King, will claw into every soul between here and there to keep from going back to its prison."

_"No_," Wesley gasped, not even thinking of the repercussions that might befall them should this not go according to plan. "The children..."

"Will be safely below in the dungeons, Dumbledore is gathering them all as we speak," Severus gave him a look. "But there are no guarantees that this will work. Be prepared to say your goodbyes."

Severus turned to leave the room when Wesley spoke.

"Did you love her, or was it always Poppy for you? Because Caro loved you, I'm sure of it," Wesley asked quietly.

"Caroline Weston was...I cared for her, but I'm not sure if I just cared for the hero worship or the girl herself," Severus said after a long pause. "Poppy...Madame Pomfrey is a colleague. Pray, do not read more into it than there is."

"Don't keep it to yourself if it's more, Sev," Wesley said quietly, meeting his brothers eyes. "Don't miss out on any of the chances it could bring."

Severus gave a terse nod and quickly strode back out into the infirmary. After sharp instructions to the three Gryffindors and Luna, he turned and spoke briefly to Poppy. Wesley watched them, the simple touch of a finger to her elbow, the way her whole body turned to listen to him. She nodded with whatever it was that he said and looked up at him, almost fearfully.

Wes was so caught up in non-display his brother and the nurse were making, he barely noticed the girl at his own elbow until she tugged on his shirtsleeve. Luna smiled up at him.

"Thank you, for bringing them together," Luna murmured. "I had wondered when someone else would see it."

Luna smiled at him and soon followed the Gryffindors out of the hospital wing. Fred slipped her hand in his and squeezed weakly.


End file.
